Ohio utility chief warns of reliance on gas over coal

Public Utilities Commission of Ohio Chairman Todd Snitchler is not a fan of a “dash-to-gas” mentality that calls for coal-rich states such as Ohio to make a quick switch to natural gas as the preferred fuel for its power plants, according to Columbus Business First.

He said as much Tuesday when he testified before an Ohio House committee looking at the energy challenges facing the state. That includes the retirement of coal-burning power plants because of more stringent federal environmental standards at a time when energy companies are spending billions to develop the oil and natural gas fields in Ohio’s Utica shale play.

While recognizing Ohio power generators plan to retire a whopping 6.5 gigawatts of coal-fired electric generation by 2015, Snitchler cautioned against making the state dependent on one type of fuel – even if it’s natural gas.

“Ohio needs a balanced approach,” he said, “where coal and natural gas, along with other cost-effective resources, peacefully coexist so we do not become overly reliant on any one fuel source.”